"Since you have decided to extend your stay for a while longer, I will begin your teachings," Queen Mashiro spoke from her behind her desk. As always, Fumi-san was close by.
Shizuru sat dutifully across from the wise, childlike woman, her hands resting on her thighs. Currently, they were seated in a library of sorts, though scrolls took the place of books. It smelled of dust but the surface of everything in the room was immaculate. Well placed lanterns chased away the darkness but left the area looking unnerving somewhat. There were no windows. Most likely because direct sunlight would damage the countless hand written scrolls that beckoned to tell their secrets.
"I have already mentioned the Orphans before but I feel I must go more in depth about the dark creatures," Mashiro paused a moment, contemplating what to tell. "They are the very embodiment of evil in this world. They live only to destroy everything they can. We believe they were brought here from another realm, like you. By whom though? We have not yet discovered the answer to that particular question. In an effort to fight off the monsters, the Himeans banded together to create an army of Riders—"
Shizuru recognized the term. Mai had called Nao-san by that name.
"—Riders use their Lifesong to connect with Childs, wolf-like creatures that harness magic. The Riders use them as mounts to ride into battle with the Orphans. The bond Riders have with their Childs create two different classes of Riders which we call Swords and Shields. Swords harness more offensive magic, used to attack enemies directly. Shields possess magic that provides defense. Every Sword has a Shield to offer protection."
Shizuru absorbed all the information being thrown at her. It was difficult to imagine it all. All the terms were so farfetched from the world she was from. She continued to listen though and tried to make sense of all the madness.
"While powerful, the Riders could not defeat the amount of Orphans that gathered in Hime and they suffered tremendous lose. In desperation, the High Priestess at the time prayed to Hime for salvation. And Hime answered her prayers by sending me here.
The Marked possess powerful magic, much more than any normal Rider. After I bonded with my Child and found my Sword and Bondmate, Fumi, I used our combined magic to rid this world of the Orphans. For many years, we believed that we had succeeded. Hime flourished without the Orphans eating away at the land and its people but the prosperous times, unfortunately, did not last. The Orphans are back and more powerful than ever. Many of our surrounding settlements have already fallen to the monsters' wrath.
Now, this is where you come in, Shizuru-san. You are the next Marked. Hime has brought you here to follow in my footsteps and to rid this world of darkness once again."
Shizuru stared at her tightly clenched hands that rested in her lap. She thought about everything she had been told. She had many questions but the only one that she was able to voice was, "Why me? Why can't you just continue what you started?"
The Queen smiled slightly, her eyes lost the edge they had taken during the story and turned gentle as she answered softly, "Because I'm dying."
Shizuru's focus snapped to the woman behind the desk. Bewildered she repeated, "Dying?"
"Yes. I won't be around much longer," Mashiro stated calmly.
Although Shizuru didn't know Queen Mashiro very well, she felt that they were somehow connected in a strange way. Like they may have known each other in another life. The tawny haired woman was surprised to feel grief at the troubling news. She watched her hands clench the hem of her fur skirt, fighting her inner grief. She was so caught up in her unexpected sorrow that she failed to realize that Mashiro had wheeled herself next to the chair Shizuru was sitting in.
Shizuru's chin was gently taken in a soft hand and her face was turned so her crimson eyes could meet the Queen's gentle stare. "Do not be sad for me, Shizuru-san. I have lived a long, healthy life with the love of my life. All the sacrifices I had to make was more than worth the chance to belong and to love with all of my heart.
You can have all of that too, Shizuru-san. You can find the one you love, your Bondmate, here in Hime. You belong here. To live a life back on Earth was never your destiny."
Shizuru stared searchingly into the Queen's kind gaze, she only found truth in the words spoken to her. There was no deceit in the eyes before her, only pure honesty. But, still, Shizuru could not shake off the doubt in her mind. It seemed too good to be true. "How can you be sure?" the tawny haired woman whispered uncertainly.
"Come with me," Queen Mashiro said abruptly.
It had taken nearly a month to make preparations for the ceremony, and in that time Shizuru had slowly grown accustomed to life in Hime. Interpreting Lifesong and its hidden meaning was now close to being instinctive. She learned you could judge the mood of a person just by listening to the fleeting melody. Most of her time was spent in the Library with Mai and her faithful companion, Mikoto, learning of the customs and culture of the land. At other times, she would walk with Nao among the village. Sometimes they would travel to the edge of the woodlands and there they would catch fleeting glimpses of Childs. They were massive wolfs that towered in height.
Nao would speak of her Child, Julia, in a loving way and tell Shizuru tales of the wolf's beauty and bravery. Shizuru once asked why Nao couldn't take her to see Julia. She was told that someone had to be a chosen Rider or a soon-to-be Rider in order to cross into the Children's Territory.
She had learned as much as she could about the upcoming ceremony. Apparently, many available mates from all across Hime send a token that speaks of themselves to the Gathering Place and there, Shizuru will skim through all of these items, listening to the various Lifesongs until she finds the one she connects with.
At the moment, Shizuru sat calmly sipping her drink of Yewkl, a substance that she discovered to taste similar to tea. Mai on the other hand was running around frantically, fusing over things that didn't need much fusing over. They were currently in the back room of the Gathering Place. It was the place in Fukka Capital where every Bonding occurred. The Queen made sure to get all the necessary preparations done before the ceremony was to begin.
"How can you sit there so calmly? Today, you will be Bonded!" Mai yelled at the calm brunette who looked to be the epitome of relaxation.
"Ara," Shizuru had the audacity to look surprised. "Why, it seems like Mai-chan is doing all the distressing for me."
"Why you little—" Mai was abruptly cut off from what was sure to be an aggressive rant when Nao threw open the door.
"Today's the big day! You ready to meet your Bondmate?" Nao questioned as she approached Shizuru happily.
"If they're anything like your Mate, Nina, then yes, I am." Shizuru teased. She had met Nina about a week after arriving in Hime. She found the cool and collected woman to be perfect for the devious red head. Shizuru could very well recall how in tuned the both were to each other. The way their Lifesongs melted into one another's made Shizuru long for the same connection.
"Whoever they are, they'll be the perfect fit for you," Nao spoke matter-of-factly before taking a seat next to Shizuru and propping her bare feet up on the table in front of them. Mai shot the Rider a glare that clearly conveyed her unhappiness at Nao's lack of manners.
"Relax, Mai. It's not like you're the one getting Bonded today," Nao told the anxious Priestess.
"I know," Mai sighed before collapsing into a chair next to the Rider. "I just want everything to run smoothly for Shizuru."
"It will Mai-chan. Don't worry." Shizuru offered her friend a genuine smile.
Mai smiled back softly when Queen Mashiro was wheeled into the room by the ever-present Fumi. She was placed in front of the trio with a contented grin on her face. "Here you are, Shizuru," as this was said, the handicapped woman placed a goblet filled with a deep red substance on the table. "You have to drink it all."
It was the ceremonial drink. It was a liquor of sorts and it was accustomed to drink a few minutes before the ceremony. Shizuru had read from one of countless scrolls that it induced a lustful haze on the one who drank it to ready them for the more…physical part of the Bonding.
Shizuru slid the goblet across the table to her and peered at the liquid inside. It sloshed around the rim dangerously from the movement before settling. "Well, this is it," Shizuru exclaimed, taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly. It was the first indicator all day of her nervousness. She drank from the goblet deeply, choking down every last drop of the fiery liquid that lit a blaze all the way down to her stomach. She set down the goblet heavily, breathing deeply and wondering if the effects of the ceremonial drink was instantaneous.
It was.
It took only a few seconds before her body temperature rose and radiated deep within her chest before heading south. She vaguely realized that Mai and Nao were both pulling her out of the chair and helping her walk out the door to enter the Gathering Place's enormous chamber. They were on a stage that held rows and rows of long wooden tables. Atop these tables sat various trinkets from simple stones to exotic hats. Looking away from the stage they were on, Shizuru took notice of the large crowd that overwhelmed the large chamber. Somewhere in the massive crowd was her Bondmate—her other half.
"Shizuru. Shizuru! Look at me," Mai forcibly turned Shizuru's face toward her own to get the woman's attention. "Shizuru, you have to go to the tables now and examine all the tokens until you find the right one, understand?"
It was difficult to think. All she could think about was the consuming heat in her groin and the need for release but she understood what the Priestess was telling her. Her two friends let her go and she walked drunkenly to the first table. None of the items on the first table caught her interest, so she moved on to the second. A Lifesong she found interesting was being emitted from a flute-like instrument. She picked it up and gently blew into it. A needy moan could be heard from someone in the crowd.
In her lustful haze, she faintly remembered something she read about the ceremony. According to the scrolls about the Bonding, the token that people sent to the ceremony was connected to its owner physically. So, if she were to stroke this flute, then its owner could actually feel her touch, particularly in their nether regions.
'Hmmm,' Shizuru thought. 'This could be fun.'
She set down the instrument and began to move on. She made her way down the lengths of the tables, occasionally stopping if a particular Lifesong would catch her attention. She chuckled when a relatively loud feminine wail was released as she ran her fingers fleetingly across the brim of a jewelry box.
She was at the second to last table when another Lifesong caught her attention. It was coming from a hairclip shaped as a lightning bolt. As soon as her fingers came in contact with the silver token, a harmony so profound and perfect assaulted her own Lifesong until the two became intertwined.
It seemed like everyone in the chamber reacted to the powerful Lifesong echoing off even the farthest walls of the grand chamber.
A loud and forceful cry of, "SHE'S MINE!" could be heard before a commotion in the crowd began. Loud mummers filled the chamber as everyone turned to search for the owner of the voice. Shizuru scanned the nearest faces desperately, looking for her new Bondmate.
Finally a lone figure broke away from the massive body of the crowd and time seemed to stop for a moment as crimson met emerald and Shizuru took in the most lovely creature she had ever laid eyes on. Raven locks framed a heart-shaped face with such attractive features it could break anyone's heart.
It never even occurred to Shizuru the strangeness that her Bondmate was a woman (when she was quite sure that she was attracted to males) or that said woman walked with a slight limp as if her right leg couldn't work properly. None of those things mattered in that moment.
Time started again for the two Bondmates and suddenly, the two moved at the same moment to run for each other. Nao, Mai, and a few others rushed to intercept them. They held the two back from each other, fighting to keep their holds on the pair. Shizuru breathed heavily through her nose, her eyes never leaving the emerald pair in front of her, as she furiously struggled to get free. At any other time, Shizuru would have been dismayed at her actions but she was wild with passion and the need for her Bondmate.
"She's mine! Mine!" Her Bondmate kept repeating, straining against the people holding her back, before someone finally got the woman to drink the same ceremonial drink Shizuru had before.
Mai hurriedly slashed the two Bondmates' right palm then placed their hands together, fingers interlocked. Shizuru could also faintly remember reading this part about the ritual as well. It was the exchanging of blood. Just this simple act would cause every memory the two Bondmates ever had to be transferred to one another. Even the most embarrassing or most secret moments in their lives would be revealed to each other. Mai continued by pouring a strange substance on the pair of hands before her then coiled a strip of cloth tightly around them all the way to the elbow. She slathered more of the substance over the cloth until it was soaked through before stating, "It's done."
The tawny haired girl could feel her Mate's blood mingling with her own under the bindings that held them together. The strange potion Mai used to pour on their laced hands would keep their blood flowing until morning. By that time, the two of them would know everything there is to know about each other.
Shizuru and her Bondmate were finally released and the two embraced each other possessively. The girl—yes, she was just a girl—in her arms buried her face in the crook of her neck while Shizuru held her close, breathing in the girl's scent. The first bit of information that was received by Shizuru in the blood exchange was a name.
"Natsuki," Shizuru whispered lovingly into the girl's raven tresses. "My Natsuki."
So, did I deliver or did I deliver? I'm sure my readers are stoked that Natsuki is finally in the picture. I must say, I am as well. I know there's a lot of information in the chapter but I hope you stuck through it and are starting to understand this fantasy world of mine a little better. The next chapter will be a lot about Natsuki's story and what she was doing before she met Shizuru.
Oh, and leave reviews please! I can't survive without them!